House Bill 813

AN ACT TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF VIOLATING OR WHO IS OTHERWISE DETERMINED TO HAVE VIOLATED STATE OR FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITING HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE TO REIMBURSE HIS OR HER PUBLIC EMPLOYER FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ANY MONIES PAID BY THE PUBLIC EMPLOYER TO COMPENSATE, LITIGATE, SETTLE OR OTHERWISE PAY OR MITIGATE ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE'S BEHAVIOR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) A public employee who has been found guilty of violating or who has otherwise been determined to have violated state or federal law prohibiting harassment in the workplace shall reimburse his or her public employer for the total amount of any monies paid by the public employer to compensate, litigate, settle or otherwise pay or mitigate any damages due to the public employee's behavior that is determined to be a violation of state or federal law prohibiting harassment in the workplace.

(2) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Public employee" means any employee, officer, elected official or appointed official of a state agency or department, a political subdivision of this state, municipality, county, university, college, including a community or junior college.

(b) "Pubic employer" means a state agency or department, a political subdivision of this state, municipality, county, university, college, including a community or junior college.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2017.